Cancer Prevention Foods
Anti-cancer Foods               updated on November 19, 2007
Most cancer prevention (or anti-cancer) foods or diets contain are rich sources of anti-oxidants. These antioxidants
are the key elements to lower the risk of most cancers. The key points of antioxidants are listed as below:

Antioxidants protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals).

Laboratory and animal research has shown antioxidants help prevent the free radical damage that is
associated with cancer. However, results from recent studies in people (clinical trials) are not consistent .

Antioxidants are provided by a healthy diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables.

What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free
radicals. Free radical damage may lead to cancer. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may
prevent some of the damage free radicals otherwise might cause. Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene,
lycopene, vitamins C, E, and A, and other substances.

Can antioxidants prevent cancer?
Considerable laboratory evidence from chemical, cell culture, and animal studies indicates that antioxidants may
slow or possibly prevent the development of cancer. However, information from recent clinical trials is less clear. In
recent years, large-scale, randomized clinical trials reached inconsistent conclusions.

What was shown in previously published large-scale clinical trials?
Five large-scale clinical trials published in the 1990s reached differing conclusions about the effect of antioxidants
on cancer. The studies examined the effect of beta-carotene and other antioxidants on cancer in different patient
groups. However, beta-carotene appeared to have different effects depending upon the patient population. The
conclusions of each study are summarized below.

• The first large randomized trial on antioxidants and cancer risk was the Chinese Cancer Prevention Study,
published in 1993. This trial investigated the effect of a combination of beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium on
cancer in healthy Chinese men and women at high risk for gastric cancer. The study showed a combination of beta-
carotene, vitamin E, and selenium significantly reduced incidence of both gastric cancer and cancer overall. (1)

• A 1994 cancer prevention study entitled the Alpha-Tocopherol (vitmain E)/Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study
(ATBC) demonstrated that lung cancer rates of Finnish male smokers increased significantly with beta-carotene
and were not affected by vitamin E. (2)

• Another 1994 study, the Beta-Carotene and Retinol (vitamin A) Efficacy Trial (CARET), also demonstrated a
possible increase in lung cancer associated with antioxidants. (3)

• The 1996 Physicians' Health Study I (PHS) found no change in cancer rates associated with beta-carotene and
aspirin taken by U.S. male physicians. (4)

• The 1999 Women's Health Study (WHS) tested effects of vitamin E and beta-carotene in the prevention of cancer
and cardiovascular disease among women age 45 years or older. Among apparently healthy women, there was no
benefit or harm from beta-carotene supplementation. Investigation of the effect of vitamin E is ongoing. (5)

Are antioxidants under investigation in current large-scale clinical trials?
Three large-scale clinical trials continue to investigate the effect of antioxidants on cancer. The objective of each of
these studies is described below. More information about clinical trails can be obtained using cancer.
gov/clinicaltrials, www.clinicaltrials.gov, or the CRISP database at www.nih.gov.

• The Women's Health Study (WHS) is currently evaluating the effect of vitamin E in the primary prevention of cancer
among U.S. female health professionals age 45 and older. The WHS is expected to conclude in August 2004.

• The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) is taking place in the United States, Puerto Rico,
and Canada. SELECT is trying to find out if taking selenium and/or vitamin E supplements can prevent prostate
cancer in men age 50 or older. The SELECT trial is expected to stop recruiting patients in May 2006.

• The Physicians' Health Study II (PHS II) is a follow up to the earlier clinical trial by the same name. The study is
investigating the effects of vitamin E, C, and multivitamins on prostate cancer and total cancer incidence. The PHS II
is expected to conclude in August 2007.

Will NCI continue to investigate the effect of beta-carotene on cancer?
Given the unexpected results of ATBC and CARET, and the finding of no effect of beta-carotene in the PHS and WHS,
NCI will follow the people who participated in these studies and will examine the long-term health effects of beta-
carotene supplements. Post-trial follow-up has already been funded by NCI for CARET, ATBC, the Chinese Cancer
Prevention Study, and the two smaller trials of skin cancer and colon polyps. Post-trial follow-up results have been
published for ATBC, and as of July 2004 are in press for CARET and are in progress for the Chinese Cancer
Prevention Study.

How might antioxidants prevent cancer?
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals as the natural by-product of normal cell processes. Free radicals are molecules
with incomplete electron shells which make them more chemically reactive than those with complete electron
shells. Exposure to various environmental factors, including tobacco smoke and radiation, can also lead to free
radical formation. In humans, the most common form of free radicals is oxygen. When an oxygen molecule (O2)
becomes electrically charged or "radicalized" it tries to steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage to the
DNA and other molecules. Over time, such damage may become irreversible and lead to disease including cancer.
Antioxidants are often described as "mopping up" free radicals, meaning they neutralize the electrical charge and
prevent the free radical from taking electrons from other molecules.

Which foods are rich in antioxidants?
Antioxidants are abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as in other foods including nuts, grains and some
meats, poultry and fish. The list below describes food sources of common antioxidants.

• Beta-carotene is found in many foods that are orange in color, including sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe,
squash, apricots, pumpkin, and mangos. Some green leafy vegetables including collard greens, spinach, and kale
are also rich in beta-carotene.

• Lutein, best known for its association with healthy eyes, is abundant in green, leafy vegetables such as collard
greens, spinach, and kale.

• Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, papaya, apricots, pink grapefruit, blood
oranges, and other foods. Estimates suggest 85 percent of American dietary intake of lycopene comes from
tomatoes and tomato products.

• Selenium is a mineral, not an antioxidant nutrient. However, it is a component of antioxidant enzymes. Plant foods
like rice and wheat are the major dietary sources of selenium in most countries. The amount of selenium in soil,
which varies by region, determines the amount of selenium in the foods grown in that soil. Animals that eat grains or
plants grown in selenium-rich soil have higher levels of selenium in their muscle. In the United States, meats and
bread are common sources of dietary selenium. Brazil nuts also contain large quantities of selenium.

• Vitamin A is found in three main forms: retinol (Vitamin A1), 3,4-didehydroretinol (Vitamin A2), and 3-hydroxy-
retinol (Vitamin A3). Foods rich in vitamin A include liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, egg yolks and mozzarella
cheese.

• Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid, and can be found in high abundance in many fruits and vegetables and is
also found in cereals, beef, poultry and fish.

• Vitamin E, also known as alpha-tocopherol, is found in almonds, in many oils including wheat germ, safflower,
corn and soybean oils, and also found in mangos, nuts, broccoli and other foods.

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References:
1)Blot WJ, Li JY, Taylor PR, et al. Nutrition intervention trials in Linxian, China: supplementation with specific
vitamin/mineral combinations, cancer incidence, and disease-specific mortality in the general population. J Natl
Cancer Inst 1993;85:1483-91.

2)The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. The effects of vitamin E and beta carotene
on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers. N Engl J Med 1994;330:1029-35.

3)Omenn GS, Goodman G, Thomquist M, et al. The beta-carotene and retinol efficacy trial (CARET) for
chemoprevention of lung cancer in high risk populations: smokers and asbestos-exposed workers. Cancer Res
1994;54(7 Suppl):2038s-43s.

4)Hennekens CH, Buring JE, Manson JE, Stampfer M, Rosner B, Cook NR, et al. Lack of effect of long-term
supplementation with beta carotene on the incidence of malignant neoplasms and cardiovascular disease. N Engl
J Med 1996;334:1145-9.

5)Lee IM, Cook NR, Manson JE. Beta-carotene supplementation and incidence of cancer and cardiovascular
disease: Women's Health Study. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999;91:2102-6.

SOURCE  Antioxidants and Cancer Prevention  National Cancer Institute Online Publication December 22, 2005
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